OP AGRICULTURE. 219 



the phosphate of lime is obtained. Guano owes a 

 large proportion of its value to the phosphate of 

 lime it contains. " Bones" enter into the composition of 

 nearly all the artificial manure- powders of commerce, 

 Bones, like guano, force and quicken vegetation, 

 develop and form seed. 



RAW BONES, SUCH A8 HAVI NOT BEEN BOILED OR CALCINED. ANALYSIS OF 100 POUNDg 

 OF BONES, BY HENITZ. 



Fat. gelatine and water i 23.42 



Phosphate of lime U...IH 63.62 



Carbonate of lime ,,,.,<) ,;,, ,, 7;89 



Magnesia (J3hdsphate).......u:;....i 2.28 



Soda 2.79 



100 



No practical use can be made of bones, until 

 crushed or ground -the finer ground the better, 

 When finely ground, if moistened, the meal soon 

 heats, fermentation sets in, and the gelatine evolves 

 from four to six per cent, of its weight as pure 

 ammonia, To prevent the escape of the ammonia 

 into the air, sprinkle the pile with a few pounds of 

 plaster, or with one-half pint of oil of vitrol (sul- 

 phuric acid), stirred into two gallons of water, for 

 every one hundred pounds of bone meal. 



"Boiled bones," such as have been boiled at soap 

 factories, for the purpose of extracting the fat and 

 gelatine, or have been boiled, so that they can be 

 crushed or ground more readily ; 



ANALYSIS OP BOILED BONES, (100 PARTS), 



Water..... , 10.. 



Animal matter u 20.2 



Phosphate of lime and magnesia^.... , 65.5 



Carbonate of lime and magnesia;. >,.. ............ ^... .......... 8.3 



100 parts* 



Practical experience has demonstrated that bone 

 meal from boiled bones 5 is its most valuable form for 



